Manslaughter case: Commercial bus driver gets N100, 000 bail

A 33-year-old commercial bus driver docked for allegedly driving in a reckless manner and causing the death of his conductor was on Thursday in Lagos granted a N100, 000 bail.

Odumade Muyiwa, the accused, who resides at Ilaje Road, Bariga, had pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of dangerous and reckless driving and manslaughter.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. Sule-Amzat, who gave the ruling at an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court, also told the accused to produce two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be gainfully employed.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Ihiehie Lucky, had told the court that the accused drove recklessly, which caused the vehicle to summersault on the highway.

“All the passengers were rushed to the Lagos State Emergency Centre, Old Toll Gate, Ikeja for medical treatment and later discharged,’’ he said.

The prosecutor said that only the conductor to the vehicle, Adeyekun Babarinde, 36, was rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital for further treatment, but later died.

Ihiehie said Muyiwa, who drove a Volkswagen Vanagan commercial bus with Lagos Reg. No. BDG 370 X5, committed the offences on May 1, by a petrol station along the Lagos-Gbagada Expressway inward Oworonshoki.

He said that a team of traffic management officials rushed to the scene and took the passengers to the hospital.

The offences, he said, contravened Sections 20 and 18(1) of the Road Traffic Law of Lagos State, 2011.